The present invention relates to a replaceable shoe sole having particular application to an athletic shoe. The two-part sole is comprised of a lower or out-sole portion removeably attached to an upper or mid-sole portion by means of a resilient snap fit between a ridge on the out-sole and a matching groove recessed into the mid-sole.
There has recently been a dramatic upsurge of participation in a wide variety of athletic activities, such a jogging or running, tennis, racquet ball, etc. As a result of this increased popularity of athletics, the public has demanded athletic shoes of a higher quality. Typically, such athletic shoes have an upper portion made from a durable, high quality material, such as leather, and a treaded sole, usually made of rubber. After a certain period of use, however, it is common for the sole of the athletic shoe to become worn, while the upper portion of the shoe is still in relatively good condition.
In order to restore the usefulness of such a worn athletic shoe, various types of repair materials, such as rubber or other polymers, are commercially available. While still in a fluid or liquid state, these repair materials are applied to the worn areas of the shoe sole and then allowed to dry. This method of sole repair, however is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, upon drying, these repair materials are usually slick and smooth and cannot be provided with any type of tread pattern. Therefore, the ability of the athletic shoe to provide traction for its user is substantially inhibited, especially if a large area on the sole is repaired. Secondly, the application of these sticky substances is difficult and messy. Thirdly, use of this prior repair method results in a non-homogeneous shoe sole which may wear unevenly, resulting in additional frequent repairs. Finally, this repair method can also cause great inconvenience since the athletic shoe cannot be used while the repair substance is drying, which often requires up to forty-eight hours.
Another repair method of the prior art is analagous to retreading automobile tires. That is, the entire worn sole of the athletic shoe is removed from the upper portion and a new rubber sole is bonded thereto. This method, although providing the shoe with a new treaded sole which is complete and homogenous, is disadvantageous since it is expensive and requires the loss of the use of th shoe during the retreading process, which may take up to two weeks.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,534, to R. T. Kauffman et. al., discloses a shoe sole having replaceable out-sole and heel portions. The heel is attached to the out-sole which is in turn attached to a mid-sole by means of a transverse sliding engagement between numerous T-shaped ribs and inverted T-shaped grooves formed on each of these sole components. However, this shoe sole construction is completely unacceptable in the numerous instances where the lateral movement of the athletic shoe wearer is required since the transverse forces caused by such lateral movement could easily destroy the attachment between the components of the sole. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 2,183,277, issued to E. C. Heilhecker, shows a replaceable shoe sole; however, the attachment means and the in-sole on which they are mounted must be destroyed in order to repair the out-sole.
Thus, there is a need for an athletic shoe whose sole can be quickly, easily, and inexpensively repaired or replaced without the attendant disadvantages associated with these prior methods.